Official: The Google Wonder Wheel Is Gone — A Google spokesperson has informed Search Engine Land that the Google Wonder Wheel feature has been taken offline. — The spokesperson said that the search tool was removed due to the “initial stage” of the Google site redesign announced earlier this week.

Sheryl Sandberg & Male-Dominated Silicon Valley — In 2007, the founder of Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg, knew that he needed help. His social-network site was growing fast, but, at the age of twenty-three, he felt ill-equipped to run it. That December, he went to a Christmas party at the home …

iPhone 4 prototype shows up on eBay — It's not the first prototype iPhone that's been offered on eBay, but as far as we know, this new listing marks the first time that an early-build iPhone 4 has been brought to public auction outside the Far East. We caught wind of the sale …

Japan discovers ‘rare’ minerals used for iPads — Discovery on the floor of the Pacific Ocean around Hawaii could immediately reduce concerns about supply — Japanese scientists have discovered huge deposits of “rare earth” minerals, crucial for making electronics products such as smartphones …

Alibaba plans own cloud-based phone OS — China's Alibaba may be planning own mobile OS — Alibaba, best known for its e-commerce sites, is now working on developing its own cell phone operating system, an anonymous source close to the matter told the Wall Street Journal on Monday.

China's Baidu ties up with Microsoft to power English search — China's Baidu is to partner with Microsoft for English-language search, giving the U.S. software giant a chance to expand its tiny Web presence in a market Google has stepped back from, and helping the Chinese company's international ambitions.

Amazon The Consolidator Gobbles Up The Book Depository — Amazon looks like it might be trying to beef up its long tail cred with some direct in-house expertise, rather than simply relying on its third-party reseller network. The books giant today announced that it has bought UK independent online bookseller The Book Depository.

Tools of Entry, No Need for a Key Chain — Front pockets and purses are slowly being emptied of one of civilization's most basic and enduring tools: the key. It's being swallowed by the cellphone. Enlarge This Image James Best Jr./The New York Times New technology lets smartphones unlock hotel …

Google's Six-Front War — Editor's note: Guest contributor Semil Shah is an entrepreneur interested in digital media, consumer internet, and social networks. He is based in Palo Alto and you can follow him on twitter @semilshah. — While the tech world is buzzing about the launch …

People Over 35 Have Recently Launched 80% Of Startups — With all the press coverage devoted to new high tech company founders, you'd think that young entrepreneurs are the only successful entrepreneurs. But the latest research suggests otherwise. — According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor …

Dropbox, cloud storage, and who owns your files? — Dropbox is a popular cloud-based service that allows users to store files online where they can be accessed from multiple devices or even shared with friends or colleagues. It's insanely useful if you're looking for a way to transfer files …